DEVELOPMENT OF BERRY VARIETIES FOR PROTECTED AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION IN COLD CLIMATES

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1021178
• Project Start Date: Oct 10, 2019
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2022
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
N Y AGRICULTURAL EXPT STATION
(N/A)
GENEVA,NY 14456

Performing Department
Geneva - Horticulture

Non Technical Summary
Detrimental climate conditions in major berry producing regions have increased the opportunity for NY growers to expand their market for berries. However, growers are hampered by varieties ill adapted to NY conditions when utilizing recent advances in production practices. Varieties adapted to NY conditions are needed to capitalize on extended production cycles, protected agriculture (high and low tunnels) and wholesale markets. Previous trials with day neutral strawberry and standard raspberry varieties have provided the information needed to accelerate in the breeding of new varieties adapted to NY.Strawberry varieties are needed that can produce fruit from May to November in NY weather. Most existing day-neutral cultivars were developed in California in fumigated soil, resulting in varieties that are poorly adapted to New York's climate or soils. NY growers producing these varieties often report 30-50% winter kill and up to 100% in some years. An accelerated process to develop varieties with superior fruit quality and extend production is needed meet grower needs.In raspberry, existing varieties do not have the fruit quality characteristics needed to compete in wholesale markets and often perform poorly in the warmer, more humid conditions existing in high tunnels. New varieties adapted to high tunnel production can expand the market for NY growers both in length of season and in commercial outlets. Such varieties can be developed by hybridizing NY adapted types with varieties with superior fruit quality in conjunction with selection and testing in high tunnels. On farm testing with member growers of the NYS Berry Growers Assoc. will accelerate the development and adoption of new varieties in the marketplace. This will benefit the growers as they are better able to compete with large scale production in other regions and provide consumers with an extended supply of high quality, locally grown berries.

Animal Health Component

20%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

10%

Applied

20%

Developmental

70%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
202	1129	1081	100%

Knowledge Area
202 - Plant Genetic Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
1129 - Berries and cane fruits, general/other;

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding;

Keywords

strawberry

raspberry

cultivar

variety

plant breeding

perennial crops

low tunnels

high tunnels

Goals / Objectives
The NYS Berry Growers and North American Raspberry and Blackberry Grower Assocs. have identified high and low tunnel production systems and variety evaluations as top priorities for current research proposals. This project aims to meet these goals by boosting agricultural production, assuring long-term viability of horticultural industries and rural communities, and optimizing production management to improve profitability and sustainability.Raspberry and strawberry production in the U.S. is concentrated in CA and FL due to a combination of climate and historical market conditions. However, climate variability and increasing costs due to competition for land and other resources in these areas is reducing profitability and sustainability of berry production. Additionally, the increased interest in locally grown produce has increased the opportunities for growers in NY and other cold climate regions to expand their market for berries. The NY climate is very suitable for raspberry and strawberry production during the May through October period but fruit quality can be reduced by rain during bloom and harvest. Previous projects have demonstrated the advantages of growing berries under high tunnels and low tunnels including improved fruit quality, size and shelf life, and season extension from mid-May to as late as mid-December or later in some years in the southern areas of NY thus greatly expanding the market window for NY growers. Horticultural producers throughout NY and the north central and northeastern U.S. can benefit from the development of more productive raspberry and strawberry varieties adapted to protected production systems. Growing a high value crop with increasing demand will help small farmers remain profitable and in business by helping producers deal with the increasing pressure to diversify and to develop innovative production and marketing capabilities. This project will help provide access to fresh, locally grown berries to a larger segment of the U.S. population. Locally grown berries that are picked ripe and at the peak of flavor and nutritional value will benefit the public at large by increasing the availability of this superior fruit.Additionally, the 2017 USDA Ag Census records for NY indicates 568 farms growing strawberries and 606 farms with raspberries with the majority of plantings being less than 15 acres (https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/). This mirrors the data from the 2012 NYSBGA berry pricing survey showing a wide range of in NY producers for local markets, from micro-farmers with <2 acres to large diversified farms with many crops. Most berry farms in NY are family operated and often multi-generational. The smallest provide supplementary income and are often operated by women who are caregivers and homemakers. There are few barriers to minority groups and small land owners to initiate small-scale berry production. A little as one small high tunnel (30 x 96=384 row ft.) or 1000 ft. of low tunnels can produce meaningful income at an initial cost of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to begin production. These systems have a projected lifespan of 20 years or more for the metal support system. With possible production of 1-2 lb. of fruit per ft. of row, the price survey indicates that a potential gross income from this area of $3,000-$4,500 at average direct retail prices ($3-$7 per lb., depending on berry type). Value added products (jam, frozen) provide opportunities for small-scale processors to extend their sales. While most small growers will not realize this income level, even 50% of this level can be significant in household budgets over time.The main objective of this project is the development of strawberry and raspberry varieties adapted to protected production systems. This main goal can be broken down into categories for emphasis.1) Variety Trait TargetsSeason extensionStrawberries in low tunnelsRaspberries in high tunnelsConsumer fruit quality traitsSuperior fruit sizeAppropriate firmness for local marketsAttractive colorSuperior flavor and flesh texture for best eating experienceOverall attractive appearanceAcceptable post-harvest life for local marketsProducer/grower CharacteristicsDisease resistanceInsect resistancePlant growth habit and vigorClimate adaptabilityProduction System AdaptationRapid evaluation in protected systemsPlanting season evaluation due to accelerated growthRapid propagation for grower trials under agreement with NYSBGATransfer to protected test plots in season of selection

Project Methods
Evaluations of 95 strawberry selections for yield potential, fruit quality, disease resistance and plant vigor will be used to identify the 15 selections with the most commercial potential. Tissue cultures will be initiated for these selections for propagation and disease testing utilizing procedures developed in the program. Once disease free mother plants are established, 75 plants of each selection will be propagated for replicated trials starting in 2020 under low tunnels. Data from the fall of 2020 (day-neutral selections) and 2021 (short day selections) will be analyzed to identify the 5-7 best selections to propagate for grower trials. Tissue cultures and/or mother plants will be provided to a cooperating nursery for propagation of up to 25,000 plants for grower trials.New strawberry populations developed in early 2019 utilizing both day-neutral and short day germplasm will be sown and grown in the greenhouse to have plugs ready for planting in late April to mid-May for the day-neutral material and late June for the short-day material in 2020. Additional populations will be developed as new selections are identified with superior traits to further integrate the fruit quality characteristics for varieties developed in California with the superior disease resistance and climate adaptation for traditional NY varieties.Plugs will be planted in a double row plasticulture system, with 5.5' row center spacing and 1' within row spacing allowing 5000 seedlings to be placed in approximately 1/3 acre (2700 row feet). The early planting will allow adequate development of fruit for evaluation to begin by mid-summer in the planting year for the day-neutral material and the later planting for appropriate development of the short day populations for evaluation in the following spring. Superior seedlings will be identified in the populations through evaluations of fruit and plant characters. These plants will be propagated from runners and/or tissue culture as needed for further testing in the following summers to identify 3 to 5 potential new varieties for commercial trials.In raspberry, 8 selections previously initiated into tissue culture will be provided to a cooperating nursery for propagation for grower trials. Evaluations of 127 selections currently in plots under tunnels will be continued during the project, discarding inferior lines and including new lines as they are selected and propagated. As superior lines are identified, they will be established in tissue culture for disease testing and clean plant propagation. There will be a target of 6 lines per year of the project for establishment in culture for propagation for further testing with growers in the testing program. Evaluation of the 16 lines currently in trials with NY growers will continue through the project. Evaluation of these lines utilizing the data collected from the growers and trials at Cornell AgriTech will be used to make commercialization decisions in conjunction with Cornell CTL.For new raspberry populations, two different strategies will be utilized with high tunnels in the development of new varieties. For both primocane and floricane germplasm, previously created populations will be germinated in the greenhouse in winter for transfer to plug trays for spring planting. For the primocane germplasm, well developed plug plants will be transferred to 1 gal. pots in March and April for later transfer to high tunnels in May to allow adequate growth and development for evaluation of precociousness and fruit characteristics such as color, shape, firmness, brix, size and flavor in the fall of the first season (Figure 3). Superior seedlings will be then be transplanted to in-ground plots in a different high tunnel for evaluation of additional growth and productivity traits. The most promising seedlings will be established directly into tissue culture for potential fast track testing with commercial growers. In the 3 years of the project, approximately 3,150 seedlings will be screened using this system (1050 each year).For floricane germplasm, seedlings will be grown in a similar way to produce well developed plug plants for mid-May planting in open field sites. Floricane types require winter chilling to flower and produce fruit. The difficulty in overwintering plants in pots and the added time and labor required to evaluate floricane types in pots makes it not feasible at this time in my program. Previous populations will be evaluated in open field sites for superior types to test in the high tunnels. Additionally, current selections in the program with high potential will be evaluated under high tunnels for fruit and vegetative characteristics. Potential new varieties will be established into tissue culture for rapid propagation for grower trials.In each of the program sections, spotted wing drosophila will continue to be monitored as previously done in collaboration with Dr. Greg Loeb in Entomology and Dr. Juliet Carroll with the NYS IPM program. This will continue throughout the project and control measures utilized as needed. The Cornell AgriTech has the appropriate equipment for applying insecticides to control this important pest.Grower trials will be done in cooperation with the New York State Berry Growers Association and other commercial partners in accordance to agreements between them and the Cornell Center for Technology Licensing. This project will utilize multiple grower sites across a broad range of NY soil and climate zones to help identify any serious deficiencies in potential new varieties. Our current farm testing collaboration with the NYS Berry Growers Assoc. provides access to grower test sites across NY, MI and PA. An additional agreements with the Ontario Berry growers Assoc. and other private entities provides additional testing sites in Canada, California, Mexico, Morocco and Europe. From 2014-2018, strawberry and raspberry test material was placed with growers in 32 sites in NY, PA, MI, CA, MX, MR, and ONT for evaluations. Evaluations from these growers in combination with trials at the Cornell AgriTech were instrumental in making the decision for the release of 'Dickens' short-day strawberry and 'Crimson Treasure' primocane raspberry in the fall of 2018. This project aims to capitalize on this network to test potential new day-neutral strawberry varieties and raspberries suitable for high tunnel production. Utilizing this network will allow for the rapid distribution of test material to a wide range of commercial growers who can provide feedback directly and allow growers to gain experience with new varieties prior to commercial release which aid in the more rapid adoption on new varieties across the region.

Progress 10/01/20 to 09/30/21

Outputs
Target Audience:Horticultural producers throughout the New York and north central and northeastern U.S. will primarily benefit from the development of more productive and regionally adapted raspberry and strawberry varieties. Growing a high value crop with increasing demand in local markets will help small farmers remain profitable and in business by enabling them to diversify and to develop and implement innovative production and marketing capabilities. Secondarily, since the majority of the current U.S. supply of fresh market raspberries and strawberries originates from California and Mexico, this project will provide access to fresh, locally grown berries to a larger segment of the U.S. population. Locally grown berries that are picked ripe and at the peak of flavor and nutritional value will benefit the public at large by increasing the availability of this superior fruit. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided hands-on training of high and low tunnel production practices to two technical personnel during the summer of 2021. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Horticultural producers throughout the New York and north central and northeastern U.S. were targeted for dissemination of information through presentations and field demonstrations on breeding berries utilizing protected agriculture systems. During 2021, 5 extension publications/production manuals were written for growers in NY and throughout the U.S. and published in industry publications including or Cornell/NYS IPM websites. Phillips, Ben, Annie Klodd and Courtney Weber. 2021. Researchers weigh in on plasticulture strawberry research. Vegetable Growers News. 55(8):12. Carroll, J., M. Pritts, K. Cox, G. Loeb, L. Sosnoskie, M. Kirkwyland, M. Helms, C. Weber, P. Curtis, L. McDermott, E. Bihn and A. Landers, 2021. Organic Production and IPM Guide for Strawberries. J.E. Carroll and M.P. Pritts (Coord. Eds.). NYS IPM Publication No. 226 v5. 64 pp. Revised. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/42890.2 Weber, Courtney. 2021. The changing caneberry cultivar landscape for northern growers. North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association Newsletter. 46(3):9, 15, 17. Weber, Courtney. 2021. Developing varieties of the future. North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association Newsletter. 46(3):2-3. Kibbe, Esther and Courtney Weber. 2021. Strawberry crown to plug conversion. https://blogs.cornell.edu/berries/productions/strawberry-production/strawberry-crown-to-plug-conversion-protocol/. Cornell Fruit Resources blog, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Additionally, 3 videos were produced in 2021 for on the berry breeding program and the Cornell Berry Team that are available online. Raspberry and blackberry breeding at Cornell. National Plant Breeders Association video. June 15, 2021. Filmed by Craig Cramer. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHPXm2Es8aQCJTiGxD-wbC47khggqbZSe Cornell CALS video; The Cornell Berry Team https://youtu.be/TCu7LUgGYT8 Strawberries for Vegetable Growers. The Vegetable Beet podcast. June 9, 2021. https://veggiebeet.buzzsprout.com/1038118/8651190-strawberries-for-vegetable-growers Presentations were given to stakeholders including growers, students and educators throughout the U.S. on the breeding program and berry production in temperate climates. Weber, C. 2021. Follow up on cultivar development and potential licensing of Cornell raspberry cultivars. 80 Acres Farms, Hamilton, OH. July 26. 1 hr.; 3 participants; 3 contact hours. Zoom conference. Weber, C. 2021. Update on cultivar development and potential licensing of Cornell raspberry cultivars. 80 Acres Farms, Hamilton, OH. June. 21. 1 hr.; 3 participants; 3 contact hours. Zoom conference. Weber, C. 2021. Strawberries for Vegetable Growers. The Vegetable Beet podcast. June 9. Online presentation. 2 participants; 1 hr; 2 contact hours. Weber, C. 2021. Update on cultivar development and potential licensing of Cornell raspberry cultivars. Phyllatech Nursery, Farmville, NY. March 9. 1 hr.; 3 participants; 3 contact hours. Zoom conference. Weber, C. 2021. New raspberry cultivars for cold climates. Utah Berry Growers Association 16th Annual Meeting. March 2. Virtual in 2021. 0.5 hr.; 114 participants; 57 contact hours. Weber, C. 2021. Update on breeding raspberries and blackberries for cool climate regions. North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association Annual Conference. February 23. Virtual in 2021. 0.5 hr.; 152 participants; 76 contact hours. Weber, C. 2021. Strawberry varieties panel discussion. North American Strawberry Growers Association Annual Conference. January 18. Virtual in 2021. 0.5 hr.; 84 participants; 42 contact hours. Weber, C. 2021. Raspberry and blackberry breeding and genetics. Cornell biology interns AgriTech tour. July 12. 6 participants; .75 hr.; 5 contact hours. Weber, C. et al. 2021. Northeast Berry Call. Update on berry crop and production conditions. Geneva, NY. Weekly April 20-June 29. (11 weeks/1hr./week). 11 hrs.; 20 participants; 220 contact hours. Weber, C. 2021. Strengths and weaknesses of berry varieties for NY growers. 2021. Strawberry Production Webinar. Hosted by CCE of Suffolk County, NY. Virtual. 0.5 hr.; 22 participants; 11 contact hours. Weber, C. 2021. Choosing bramble varieties for your situation. Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program Bramble Production Workshop. Virtual. February 24. 0.42 hr.; 39 participants; 16 contact hours. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Over the fall and winter 2021-22, plants will be propagated for 5 strawberry selections from the breeding program for placement in replicated trials. Additionally, 2 of these selections will be propagated for trials with NY growers for evaluation in protected agriculture production systems in the spring of 2022. Approximately 3500 seedlings from 41 strawberry breeding populations in the field will be evaluated under low tunnels for fruiting, plant growth characteristics and season extension potential. The 57 strawberry and 54 selections test plots established in the summer of 2021 season will be phenotyped in 2022 for production characteristics. Seeds from raspberry breeding populations will be germinated and 1200 new plants will be established in pots for growing under high tunnels for evaluation. The 65 raspberries selected from the accelerated program and field plantings will be evaluated as well as the 225 previously established selections from the program currently growing under high tunnels. Grower trials will be established with 8 raspberry selections and 2 strawberry selections in 2022. Information will be disseminated the 2022 NARBA conference, the spring 2022 eastern NY Fruit School and other fruit workshops and field days through the season.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Development of hybrid populations for NY trials. Goal 1a: Hybridization of flowers. In fall 2021, 9 primocane red raspberry populations were developed were developed. Seed was collected and stored for spring 2022 planting. Flowers were hand emasculated and pollen collected for making hybridizations. Each flower was hand pollinated with pollen from selected parents and the fruit was collected. The fruit was processed to extract the seed which was then dried and stored in the refrigerator for fall scarification and stratification for spring 2022 planting. Goal 1b: Growing hybrid populations. Seeds from 15 primocane red, 15 floricane red, 41 black raspberry and 15 blackberry populations were prepared for spring 2021 germination starting in December 2020. In February 2021 the seeds were brought out of refrigeration and spread onto potting medium in seedling trays for germination in the greenhouse. In March 2021, selection for spine-free seedlings was begun on the black raspberry populations segregating for this trait. Plants were fertilized and provided pest control to establish the seedlings for transplanting in March. Transplanting to plug trays began in late March 2021. Approximately, 1100 primocane seedling plugs were grown for potted trials and approximately 3500 black raspberry and floricane red raspberry and 650 blackberry seedling plugs for open field planting. Goal 1c: Evaluation of hybrid seedling populations. In the fall of 2020, 782 day-neutral strawberry seedlings were evaluated. From these 4 late ripening selections were identified for further phenotyping. In the summer of 2021, 3147 strawberry seedlings and 8 seedling breeding selections were evaluated growing under low tunnels for fruit and plant characteristics important for production. A total of 64 new selections were made for further phenotyping from the seedling populations. An additional 8 selections from 2009, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 previously established in test plots under low tunnels were phenotyped in 2021. For raspberry, a total of 4831 seedlings were phenotyped in the field from previous year's plantings. A total of 42 seedling plants were selected for further phenotyping and will be dug in the spring of 2022 for planting in evaluation plots under high tunnels. For blackberry, a total of 675 seedlings were phenotyped in the field from previous year's plantings. A total of 7 seedling plants were selected for further phenotyping and will be dug in the spring of 2022 for planting in evaluation plots under high tunnels. Goal 2: Testing potential new varieties with NY growers. Goal 2a: Tissue culture establishment. A total of 10 strawberry selections and 2 raspberry selections were moved into the disease-free propagation stage based on field phenotyping. In vitro cultures were initiated for propagation of disease-free plants for replicated trials at Cornell AgriTech and with industry cooperators. Goal 2b: Propagation of test plants for grower cooperators. Propagation of previously established cultures continued for 8 raspberry selections to establish test plots with industry cooperators. Two strawberry selections, NY09-05, a short-day genotype, and NY17-66DN, a day-neutral genotype, were previously established in in vitro culture and tested negative for a wide range of virus diseases. Plantlets were extracted from in vitro cultures in early 2021 to produce mother plants for greenhouse propagation. Once plants were established in soil, they were transferred to the greenhouse in January 2021 under long day conditions to encourage runner formation. Runners formed and were rooted in plug trays through May 2021 for trials at Cornell AgriTech and Nourse Farms. A replicated planting of 3 x 50-plant plots of each selection were planted at Cornell AgriTech. An additional 50 plants each were sent to Nourse Farms for inclusion in their trial program. During the 2021 summer season, 6 grower trials established previously for 11 raspberry selections were evaluated for production characteristics. The 2020 to 2023 trials include NY15-50y, NY16-14, NY16-21, NY16-29, NY17-25, NY17-33, NY17-35, NY17-36 raspberries in commercial trials at 3 grower sites in NY. The 2018-2021 trials include NY02-18, NY06-10, NY16-08, NY16-14, NY16-21 and NY16-29 raspberries in commercial trials at 3 grower sites in NY. Goal 3: Accelerated breeding utilizing protected agriculture systems. Goal 3a: Establish raspberry seedlings in pots for tunnel evaluation. In the spring of 2021, 1100 raspberry plants were grown from hybrid seed from 8 populations and transferred to pots under high tunnels for evaluation of characteristics important for raspberry production. Goal 3b: Evaluate primocane fruit on potted seedlings. A total of 23 selections were made from potted seedlings in 2021. The plants were transferred to the soil in plots under high tunnels for future evaluations. Goal 3c: Evaluate selections and seedling populations from previous years. In strawberry, 57 breeding selections from 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021 were propagated in the greenhouse and evaluation plots established in the field under low tunnels for further phenotyping in 2022. In raspberry, new plots were established under low tunnels for 54 selections for further evaluation. Approximately 225 previously established evaluation plots of breeding selections were phenotyped under high tunnel production for fruit and plant characteristics important for production.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Weber, C.A. 2021. Strawberry Crown Plugs Provide Flexibility and Improved Performance in Cold Climate Plasticulture Production. Agronomy 11:1635. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081635. Published online August 17, 2021. Open access.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Weber, C.A. 2021. Performance of Strawberry Varieties Developed for Perennial Matted-Row Production in Annual Plasticulture in a Cold Climate Region. Agronomy 11 (7):1407 https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071407. Published online July 14, 2021. Open access.

Progress 10/10/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Horticultural producers throughout the New York and north central and northeastern U.S. will primarily benefit from the development of more productive and regionally adapted raspberry and strawberry varieties. Growing a high value crop with increasing demand in local markets will help small farmers remain profitable and in business by enabling them to diversify and to develop and implement innovative production and marketing capabilities. Secondarily, since the majority of the current U.S. supply of fresh market raspberries and strawberries originates from California and Mexico, this project will provide access to fresh, locally grown berries to a larger segment of the U.S. population. Locally grown berries that are picked ripe and at the peak of flavor and nutritional value will benefit the public at large by increasing the availability of this superior fruit. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided hands-on training of high and low tunnel production practices to two technical personnel during the summer of 2020. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Horticultural producers throughout the New York and north central and northeastern U.S. were targeted for dissemination of information through presentations and field demonstrations on breeding berries utilizing protected agriculture systems. Information on breeding and production of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry was presented to Geneva High School students during a tour of Cornell AgriTech on Oct. 17, 2019. Information on the utilization of high tunnels in raspberry breeding, variety variability, high tunnel production was presented to members of the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association at the the organization's annual conference in St. Louis, MO on March 3-6, 2020. Information on the the accelerated breeding of primocane red raspberry in a cool climate (NY) utilizing substrate culture in high tunnels was presented to attendees of the annual conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science held virtually on Aug. 11, 2020. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Over the fall and winter 2020-21, plants will be propagated for 12 strawberry selections from the breeding program for placement in replicated trials. Additionally, 2 of these selections will be propagated for trials with NY growers for evaluation in protected agriculture production systems in the spring of 2022. Approximately 3500 seedlings from 41 strawberry breeding populations in the field will be evaluated under low tunnels for fruiting, plant growth characteristics and season extension potential. Selections from the 2020 season will be established in test plots and 2019 selections will be evaluated. Seeds from raspberry breeding populations will be germinated and 1200 new plants will be established in pots for growing under high tunnels for evaluation. The 49 selections from 2020 selected from the accelerated program and field plantings will be evaluated as well as the 203 previously established selections from the program currently growing under high tunnels. Information will be disseminated the 2020 NASGA conference, the 2020 NARBA conference and other fruit workshops and field days through the season.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Development of hybrid populations for NY trials. Goal 1a: Hybridization of flowers. In summer 2020, 12 floricane red raspberry, 9 purple and black raspberry, and 13 blackberry populations were developed and seed collected for spring 2021 planting. In the fall, 19 primocane red raspberry populations were developed and 6 primocane blackberry populations were developed. Seed was collected and stored for spring 2021 planting. Flowers were hand emasculated and pollen collected for making hybridizations. Each flower was hand pollinated with pollen from selected parents and the fruit was collected. The fruit was processed to extract the seed which was then dried and stored in the refrigerator for fall scarification and stratification for spring 2021 planting. Goal 1b: Growing hybrid populations. In the fall of 2019, seed from 41 strawberry, 75 raspberry and 19 blackberry populations were scarified with acid and placed in cold storage for stratification until planting in Feb. 2020. Seedling were grown in the greenhouse through May when they were transferred to the field for evaluation. A total of 4079 raspberry seedlings, 3147 strawberry and 136 blackberry seedlings were transferred to the field in early summer 2020. Goal 1c: Evaluation of hybrid seedling populations. In the summer of 2020, 1984 strawberry seedlings and 33 seedling breeding selections were evaluated growing under low tunnels for fruit and plant characteristics important for production. A total of 19 new selections were made for further evaluations from the seedling populations. An additional 8 selections from 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 were propagated and established in test plots under low tunnels for evaluation in 2020 and 2021. For raspberry, a total of 4877 seedlings were evaluated in the field from previous year's plantings. A total of 36 seedling plants were selected for further testing and will be dug in the spring of 2021 for planting in evaluation plots under high tunnels. Goal 2: Testing potential new varieties with NY growers. Goal 2a: Tissue culture establishment. A total of 5 strawberry selections and 7 raspberry selections were moved into the disease free propagation stage based on field evaluations and tissue cultures initiated for propagation of disease free plants for replicated trials at Cornell AgriTech and with industry cooperators. Goal 2b: Propagation of test plants for grower cooperators. Propagation of previously established cultures continued for 8 raspberry selections to establish test plots with industry cooperators. In total, 177 raspberry bushes were distributed to 5 growers in NY and MA to establish over 500 row feet of test plots. Goal 3: Accelerated breeding utilizing protected agriculture systems. Goal 3a: Establish rasbperry seedlings in pots for tunnel evaluation. In the spring of 2020, 620 raspberry plants were grown from hybrid seed from 19 populations and transferred to pots under high tunnels for evaluation of characteristics important for raspberry production. Goal 3b: Evaluate primocane fruit on potted seedlings. A total of 8 selections were made from potted seedlings. The plants were transferred to the soil in plots under high tunnels for future evaluations. Goal 3c: Evaluate selections and seedling populations from previous years. Of the breeding selections, 8 were selected for further propagation for grower trials in 2020. In raspberry, 203 breeding selections were evaluated under high tunnel production for fruit and plant characteristics important for production. In strawberry, a total of 19 new selections were made for further evaluations from the seedling populations. An additional 8 selections from 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 were propagated and established in test plots under low tunnels for evaluation in 2020 and 2021.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Khadgi, Archana and Courtney A. Weber. 2020. Morphological Characterization of Prickled and Prickle-Free Rubus Using Scanning Electron Microscopy. Hortscience. 55(5):676-683.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Bradish, C.M., J.M. Bushakra, L.R. Robbins, E. Karaadac, S. Teo, J.L. Willard, P. Perkins-Veazie, J. Lee, J.C. Scheerens, C.A. Weber, M. Dossett, N.V. Bassil, C .E. Finn and G.E. Fernandez. 2020. Standardized phenotyping in black raspberry. J. Amer. Pom. Soc. 74(1):2-17
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Weber, C.A. 2020. Introgression of spine-free and primocane fruiting from red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) to black raspberry (R. occidentalis L.). Acta Hort. 1277:17-24.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Willman, M., J.M. Bushakra, N. Bassil, C.E. Finn, M. Dossett, P. Perkins-Veazie, C.M. Bradish, G.E. Fernandez, C. Weber, J. Scheerens, L. Dunlap and J. Fresnedo-Ramirez. 2020. Genetic analysis of drupelet count in black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis). Acta Hort. 1277:65-72.